Machine for introducing rubber pins into through-going holes in a leather sole for foot-wear



July 28, 1959 A. oDERMA'rr MACHINE EoR INTRonucING RUBBER PINS INT0 THROUGH-Goms HoLEs 1N A LEATHER soLE EoR FOOT-WEAR Filed June 1'7I 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet L July 28, 1959 A. oDERMA'rT 2,896,232

MACHINE FOR INTRODUCING RUBBER PINS INTO THROUGH-GOING HOLES IN A LEATHER SOLE FOR FOOT-WEAR Filed June 17, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ju'ly 28, 1959 A. oDERMA-r'r 2,896,232

MACHINE FOR INTRODUCING RUBBER PINS I THROUGH-GOING HOLES IN A LEATHER SOLE FOR FO -WEAR Filed June 17, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 28, 1959 AA ODERMATT 2,896,232

MACHINE FOR INTRODUCING RUBBER PINS INT0 THROUGH-GOING HOLES IN A LEATHER som RoR Roofs-WEAR Filed June 17, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MACHlNE FOR INTRUDUCING- RUBBER PINS INTO THROUGH-GOING HLES IN A LEATHER SOLE FR FOOT-WE Alois dermatt, Zurzach, Switzerland Application .lune 17, 1957, Serial No. 665,887

Claims priority, application Switzerland February 27, 1957 8 Claims. (Cl. 12--17) The present invention relates to a machine for introducing rubber pins into holes extending through a leather sole for shoes or other foot-wear. lt is known to dispose a rubber layer between the double soles of shoes, which layer is provided with pins that pass through corresponding holes in the outer sole. Special difficulties are involved in the making of such shoes when the pins must effect self-locking in the holes of the leather sole, because the diameter of the hole in the leather sole then has to be smaller than the diameter of the rubber pin before it is inserted into the hole.

According to the present invention these diliculties are overcome by first pushing a gripping member through each hole member, and then seizing a rubber pin that has to be introduced into the hole, in the end of the gripping member extending through the latter, after which the gripping member is pulled back through the hole together with the pin, so that the pin is compressed in crosssection and is disposed within the hole, whereupon the gripping member is withdrawn entirely from the hole to leave the pin held tightly in the latter.

The present invention relates also to a machine which comprises a supporting plate on which the leather sole is laid, the plate being provided with holes displaceably receiving the gripping members and arranged in a pattern corresponding to that of the holes in the leather sole that has to be provided with the rubber pins.

Particular embodiments of the machine in accordance with this invention are hereinafter described in detail merely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a Vertical section through theV machine taken along the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the ma'chine of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1,

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views illustrating the operation of the machine of Figs. 1-3, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View of another embodiment of the invention. Y

Referring to Figs. l and 2, it will be seen that the coverplate 1 of a machine casing 2 has an opening receiving a supporting plate 3 which is provided with a number of holes 4. The arrangement or pattern of these holes 4 corresponds to that of the holes in the leather sole that is to be provided with rubber pins. Sleeves 5 designedas gripper members `are axially displaceable in the holes 4. The lower ends of the sleeves 5 are iixed to a plate 6 which is movable vertically in a cylinder 7. In order to effect vertical movement of the plate 6, the latter is connected to a bush 8 having a rod 9 extending diametrically therein. A connecting rod 10, which is connected, at one end, to the crank pin 11 of a crankshaft 12, is connected, at its other end, to rod 9. Thus, when the crankshaft 12 rotates, the bush S is moved up and down 7 by means of the connecting rod and the rod 9. In

order that such movement can freely occur, two vertical Patented July 28, 1959 ice slots 13 are provided in the bush 8 and the crankshaft 12 extends through the slots 13.

A pin 14 extends slidably into the interior of each of the sleeves `5, and the several pins 14 are supported by a plate 1S (Figs. 1 and 4). This plate 15 is connected to a plate 17 through four uprights 16, and the plate 17 is also displaceable in the cylinder 7 by means of an eccentric 1S (Fig. l), so that the position of the upper ends of the pins 14 with respect to the supporting plate 3 can be adjustably set.

ln the interior of the machine casing 2 there is also provided a vertically directed tubular base 19, within which a compression spring 20 is arranged. This spring 20 always tends to press upwards a column 21 which is axially slidable in the base 19. A boss 22 is carried rotatably by the upper end of column 21, and the boss 22 is guided by the bush 23 fixed on the machine casing 2. The boss 22 has three arms 24 (Figs. l and 2), each of which has a pressure plate 25 arranged at its end.

The column -21, and with it the pressure plates 25, can be moved downwards against the force of the spring 20 by a drawrod 26 fixed on the column 21. Such downward movement of column 21 is effected through a crank arm 27 (Figs. l and 3) pivotally connected to a link 2S which is, in turn, pivotally connected to a projecting end of the draw-rod 26. The crank arm 27 is freely rotatable on the end of a shaft 29, and the shaft 29 further carries a disk 30 which is fixed thereto and has a projecting driving pin 31. When the disk 30 is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l, the crank arm 27 is engaged by pin 31 and turned clockwise to a downwardly directed position, as is illustrated in Fig. l. The column 21 is also pushed downwards through its connection to the crank arm 27 by way of the drawrod 26 and the link 28. When the crank arm 27 has passed its bottom dead center position, the spring 20 instantly urges the column 21 upwards, since, at that moment, the crank arm 27 can move freely in the clockwise direction away from driving pin 31. In this way, the pressure plates 25 are also rapidly moved upwards. Then after a certain time, when the driving pin 31 has moved upwards, the latter will again engage the crank arm 27 and press the latter downwards.

The shaft 29 and the crankshaft 12 are connected to each other through chain drive (Fig. 3), so that they rotate synchronously. The chain drive consists of two sprocket wheels 32 and 33 of equal size and a chain 34 running around such wheels. The crankshaft 12 is rotatably mounted in two bearings 35 tixed on the cylinder 7, and is driven through a worm gear 36 by an electric motor 37. The motor shaft 38 passes through the worm gear 36 and has an end portion that projects out of the machine casing 2. A tlywheel 39 is xed on the projecting end of shaft 38, and can be rotated by hand when the motor 37 is inoperative.

A horizontally movable grate 40 (Fig. 2) is arranged on the coverplate 1 and can be pushed along guide rails 42 by a handle 41 to be brought over the supporting plate 3. A spring 43 is connected to a cord 44 which is, in turn, attached to grate 40 for retunnng the latter to the position illustrated in Fig. 2. A stop 45 is mounted on coverplate 1 at the side of the supporting plate 3 opposite the grate 40, so that, when the grate 40 is moved over supporting plate 3, the stop engages the ends of the several bars of the grate in such a way that the bars, appearing in Fig. 2, are accurately arranged between the holes 4. v

On the underside of each of the pressure plates 25, projecting spikes 46 are arranged, and serve for taking hold of, and transporting, rubber sheets 48 provided with pins 47. Thel pins 47 on each of the rubber sheets 48 must have the same pattern or arrangement as the holes 4 in the supporting plate 3 and the holes in the leather sole. sure plate 25 which is disposed at the location A (Fig. 2) at theytirne when this plate is in its lowest position immediately above the coverpiate 1. The person operating the machine has only to ensure that a rubber sheet is presentat-the location Abefore the plates 25 are lowered. Holes are formed in the coverplate 1 at the location A to receive 4the pins 47 projecting from a rubber sheet 4 8 and thereby ensure that the rubber sheets are correctly positioned by the person in charge.

The method of operating 4the above described machine is as follows: Assuming the driving .pin 31 and the crank pin 1 1 are approximately at their bottom dead center positions at the beginning of an operating cycle, then the spring 2Q will have raised the column 21 as far as the grani@ arrn and the link 28 permit. All three plates, 25 are thus in their upper position. A rubber sheet 48 with pins 4k47 is `then disposed at location A. Further, a leather sole 48 provided with -holes is positioned on supporting plate 3. Then, by means of the handwheel 39, the shaft 38 and Athe worm gear 36, the crankshaft 12 is turned until the upper ends of sleeves project out of the supporting plate 3 by about the thickness of the leather s ole 4 9. The leather lsole 49 is now pressed against Athe supporting plate so that the upper ends of the sleeves 5 are received in the holes of the leather sole. Now the grate 4i) is pushed over the supporting plate 3 ,and the leather sole49, as can be seen in Fig. 4. At the s ame time, a pressure plate carrying a rubber sheet 4 8 is -brought exactly over the supporting plate 3, and the electric rnotor 37 is switched on so that the crankshaft 1 2 and the shaft 29 are rotated. In this way, the sleeves l 5 are pushed upwards through the holes 4 and the holes in the leather sole 49 and between the bars of the grate 40, until the crank pin 11 reaches its upper dead center position. At this moment the upper endsxof .the sleeves 5 abut directly against the rubber A rubber sheet 48 is received by a pressheet 48, and the slit gripping lugs 50 of each sleeve,

which are expanded wide like a funnel envelops a rubber pin 47. Since the shaft 29 turns synchronously with the crankshaft y12, the downward movement of the sleeves 5 is accompanied by a corresponding downward movement of the pressure plates 25, because the driving pin `3 1 then drives thecrank arm 27 before it. The sleeves 5 enveloping the rubber pins are thus Ymoved uniformly downwards. The holes 4 in the supporting plate 3 now cause ythe resilient split, normally flaring gripper lugs or -iingers forming the upper end of each sleeve 5, to close and to compress the cross-section of the rubber pin 47. Thus, therubber pin is drawn into the hole of lthe leather sole 49 (and further downward movement of be inserted therein. After the rubber pin is seated in a hole of the leather sole, the cross-section of the pin is somewhat compressed and therefore the rubber pin has a self-locking action in the hole.

It may be preferable to provide the rubber sheet 48 with an adhesive on the side carrying the pins 47, so that the rubber sheet is simultaneously rmly adhered to the leather sole. In order to improve the adhesion, the pressure plates 25 can be heated by built-in electric heating elements (not shown), whereby the rubber sheets 48 are warmed after being received at the location A. The pressure exerted by the pressure plates 25 on the leather sole 49 can be adjusted by turning the nut 52 against which the spring 51 abuts. It is evident that the grate which, during the upward movement of the sleeves 5, prevents a corresponding raising of the leather sole 49, is returned to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 as soon as the pressure plate 25 begins to descend.

In order to .prevent rubber vfrom being squeezed out between the fingers or gripper lugs forming the upper end portion of each sleeve 5 when they compress the rubber pins, it is preferable, especially when using relatively large pins 47, to arrange a second, very thin-walled sleeve 5 between the sleeve 5 and the pin 14, as shown in Fig. 6, this second sleeve 5' being flush with the s lit end of the sleeve 5 and being also provided with slits. The resilient fingers 50' thus formed on the sleeve 5' are arranged in such a way that they cover the slits between the fingers or gripper lugs 5 0 of sleeve 5 and so prevent the :rubber from being squeezed out therebetween.

What I claim is:

l. A machine for inserting rubber pins into holes extending through a leather shoe sole and having smaller cross-sectional areas than the normal cross-sectional areas of the rubber pins; said machine comprising a supporting plate having an arrangement of holes corresponding to the holes of a leather sole and adapted to have the latter disposed on the supporting plate, a gripping member slidably received in ,each of said holes of said supporting plate and having a normally Haring, resilient upper end portion which is radially contracted when said upper end portion is disposed within the related hole of said supporting plate, and means operative to move the gripping members upward so that said upper end portion of each gripping member passesupwardly through a hole of a leather sole disposed on said supporting plate to envelop a rubber pin disposed above the sole, and then to move the gripthe rubber pin 47 is prevented by engagement with the upper end of the ypin 14, as the sleeve 5 moves still further downward and is withdrawn entirely out of the hole in the leather sole. Since the pressure plate 25 cannot follow this further downward movement of the sleeves 5 with plate 6, a compression spring 51 is provided under a nut 52 at the upper end of the column 23. toform a yieldable coupling'between column 21 and the bearing mounting boss 22 on the column. Since the electric motor continues torun, a time will come when the crank yarm 30 moves vpast its bottom dead center position and snaps upwards in consequence of the force ofthe spring `2t), and the pressure plates 25 are thereby also raised. Upon such rapid upward movement of plates 25, the spikes 46 are at once withdrawn from the r-ubber sheet 48, -so that the finished leather sole provided with rubber pins 47 is left on the supporting plate 3. The electric motor 37 is then stopped and the person Yin charge can start a new working cycle.

AIn this manner rubber pins 47 can be introduced without diiculty into the related holes of the leather sole 49, the diameter of each hole being smaller than the normal or unstressed diameter of the rubber pin to ping members downwardly so that initially the rubber pin enveloped by said upper end portion of each gripping member is compressed in cross-section by the radial contraction of said upper end portion and enters into the related hole of the leather sole, whereupon, further downward movement of the gripping member withdrawss said upper end portion from the hole of the leather sole and leaves the rubber pin firmly held therein.

2. A machine as in claim l; wherein each of said gripping members is in the form of an open ended sleeve having longitudinal slits in said upper end portion thereof between which resilient gripping fingers are defined; and further comprising a retaining pin extending slidably into each sleeve through the lower end of the latter, and means supporting the retaining pins so that, during said further downward movement of each gripping member, the related retaining pin abuts, at its upper end, against the rubber pin the hole of the leather sole, thereby to prevent withdrawal of the rubber pin from the sole during withdrawal of said upper end portion of the related gripping member from the hole of the sole.

3. Amachine as in claim 2; wherein said means supporting the retaining pins includes a movable support member to which the latter are fixedly secured, and means for adjusting the posiiton of said movable support member relativel to said supporting plate so that said upper ends 4of the retaining pins can be made to abut against rubber pinshaving different axial dimensions.

tive to move the gripping members includes a rotatedA crankshaft, a vertically movable support member to which the lower ends of said sleeves `forming the gripping members are lixedly attached, and a connecting rod between Said crankshaft and said vertically movable support member to vertically reciprocate the latter in response to rotation of the crankshaft.

5. A machine as in claim 4; further comprising a. grate member mounted for movement to and from :an operative position overlying said supporting plate, said grate including spaced apart elements which, in said operative position, are disposed between said holes of the supporting plate and overlie a leather sole on the latter, thereby to hold down the sole during the upward movements of said gripping members.

6. A machine as in claim 2; wherein each of said gripping members further includes a secondopen ended sleeve disposed between the rst mentioned sleeve and the related retaining pin and movable with said rst sleeve, said second sleeve also having longitudinal slits in the upper end portion thereof which are circumferentially spaced relative to the slits of said rst sleeve so that resilient ngers defined between said slits of said second sleeve cover the slots between the resilient iingers of said rst sleeve.

7. A machine as in claim 1; further comprising at least one pressure plate mounted for movement to and from an operative position overlying said supporting plate and being vertically movable in said operative position, and means for effecting vertical movement of said pressure plate in said operative position in timed relation with said means operative to move said gripping members so that, during the initial downward movement of the gripping members, said pressure plate moves downwardly therewith above the rubber pins to urge the latter into the related holes of a leather sole on said supporting plate.

8. A machine as in claim 7; where said means for effecting vertical movement of the pressure plate includes a `drive assembly coupled to said means operative to move said gripping members, and a compressible resilient connection interposed between said drive assembly and said pressure plate so that, during said further downward movement of the gripping members, said resilient connection can compress while said pressure plate bears downwardly on the rubber pins in the holes of the leather sole.

No references cited. 

